Dronkeman met hoge hoed c. 1800 - 1900

Monogrammist VDG rendered this drawing of a drunk man in a top hat using pen and ink. The image presents a disheveled figure, whose tipsy state is emphasized through his posture, clothing, and the swirling lines surrounding him. The artwork likely emerged from a 19th-century European context, a period marked by significant social stratification. The subject, possibly a member of the working class, is depicted with a mix of derision and pity, reflecting broader societal attitudes toward poverty and inebriation. His top hat could signal a fallen bourgeois, adding to the sense of social commentary. Such works often served a dual purpose: to entertain the middle and upper classes, and to reinforce existing social hierarchies. It's important to consider the work within the history of caricature and social critique. Catalogues of prints and drawings, biographical information about the artist, and studies of popular culture during the likely period of creation can tell us more about the specific social and institutional forces at play in its making.